Fourth republican President Rupiah Banda says it is unfair for people to ask for his stance over the transfer of former Minister of Finance Felix Mutati to the Ministry of Works and Supply as he has no reason to react over the matter.

Mr Banda told the Daily Nation in an interview that he was not in any way able to react to the development as he had no capacity and only the President in his own wisdom understood the transfers.

“It really is unfair for people to ask me whether am happy or not because it is not important, who am I? The President in his own wisdom did what was good for the Zambian people and that is it,” he said.

Meanwhile Zambia Direct Democracy Movement President Edward Sakala said the reshuffles were normal and Mr Mutati’s move was an opportunity for him to use his vast experience and knowledge in a different ministry.

He said the President had the prerogative to reshuffle ministers for the sake of effectiveness in government.

Mr Sakala said government positions were not permanent but were meant for service and it was delightful that Mr Mutati was up for the challenge.

He said there was no need for anyone to politicise the issue and people should not misunderstand the reshuffles.

“There is nothing sinister about this reshuffle, such reshuffles have always been there and Presidents always do that for effectiveness,” Mr Sakala said.

He said the President had understood the flaws in some ministries such as information and broadcasting over misinformation in the country and decided to make changes.

Mr Sakala said the same scenario was true for other ministries which the president rightly spotted inefficiencies and efficiencies.

He said there was no need for people to fuss over the matter but remain confident that government was working towards serving the people.

Today’s Scripture

“…Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

(Matthew 17:20, NIV)

Normal Heroes

Great Bible characters didn’t live a life of great exploits every day. They lived most of their lives the same way you do, taking care of the day-to-day things. Take the life of Noah, for instance. It must have been a great day for Noah when the rain finally started falling and his family raced onto the ark. And it was probably the high point of Noah’s life when God brought him and his family safely to dry ground after months on the ark. But compared to the 120 long years it took Noah to build the ark, these brief chapters in his life were almost nothing. Noah had to keep his faith strong through all of those ordinary days while building the ark so that when God was ready to do something great through him, Noah was ready, too. What does God want to do through you? Being faithful today is another step toward discovering His best.

A Prayer for Today

“God, thank You for the examples of heroes in the Bible. Help me to be faithful in the things You have given me to do today in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Visiting Democratic Republic (DRC) President Joseph Kabila has made an assurance to the international community that he is committed to ensuring that all pockets of instability ravaging some parts of that country are dealt with.

And President Edgar Lungu says he is optimistic that the DRC will soon settle its political issues following the agreement president Kabila signed on December 31, 2016, to allow a free election in that county.

President Kabila, who is in Zambia for a two day visit at the invitation of President Lungu, made that assurance when he held bilateral talks with President Lungu at Statehouse yesterday stating the situation in the DRC was mainly peaceful and secure.

He, however, admitted that there were still some political challenges that are synonymous with any country practising democracy.

“Irrespective of what you hear on radio and television, tell me of any country that has no challenges. Such a country is probably in paradise. We have our hotspots and we are dealing with those problems,” he said.

President Kabila said his mission in the country was to ensure that the borders between the two countries were free of instability to enhance trade and infrastructure development.

He said the two countries have potential in mining and energy sectors which if well explored would immensely benefit the two countries economically.

And President Lungu said he was aware of the instability in the Eastern region but also that elsewhere in Congo, things were seemingly working normally, a development he said should be applauded.

However, the President expressed concern on the international influence to heighted electoral process in the DRC stating that it would be better to leave the country to run its affairs with minimal interference.

“We get more joy from the fact that the resources you are ploughing in the electoral processes are locally generated and this gives us hope the whole process will be owned by the people of DRC” President Lungu said.

He said DRC could count on Zambia as a brotherly neighbouring country to support her in any way it could to mitigate the challenges that were being encountered from the political angle.

Zambia is currently hosting more than 14,000 refugees from the DRC, a situation that has continued to be on the rise.

Mr Kabila arrived yesterday at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport yesterday 15:00 and was received by foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji.

Democratic Republican of Congo President Joseph Kabila is has arrived in Zambia for bilateral talks with President Edgar Lungu.

Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda has told Journalists in Lusaka today that the two leaders will discuss trade, border control and refugee situation among others.

The DRC leader was met at the airport by Foreign Affairs Minister Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji.

This week, three soldiers and two civilians were killed and 11 other people injured in an accident involving DR Congo President Joseph Kabila’s motorcade..

The accident happened on a road in the southwest of the country, 220 kilometres south of Kinshasa, as Kabila was returning to the capital on Tuesday.

“Last night, a vehicle in the presidential motorcade was hit on the Matadi highway at Kimpese by a truck carrying cement,” communications official Yvon Ramazani told AFP on Wednesday.

“Three soldiers in the Republican Guard were killed along with two civilians who were nearby,” he said. Seven soldiers and four civilians were also injured, Ramazani said, adding that the accident had been caused by heavy rain.

Kabila “stayed on the site until the emergency services arrived, and personally supervised the ambulance evacuation of dead and injured,” he said.

The Republic Guard is an elite force tasked with the protection of the president. Kabila was returning from a stay in the sea port of Matadi.

Roads in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a sprawling, poverty-stricken country, are notorious for accidents. Poor road surfaces, overladen vehicles and excessive speed are often the causes of mishaps.

Kabila on Wednesday was to meet in Kinshasa with the presidents of the neighbouring Republic of Congo and Angola, Denis Sassou Nguesso and Joao Lourenco, for a tripartite meeting.

The Constitutional Court has dismissed the case in which Lusaka resident Fresher Siwale sued the State regarding the legality of the August 11, 2016 referendum for lack of merit. The Constitutional Court ruled that there were irregularities in the use of the referendum regulations 2016 but that it did not negatively affect the result of the referendum.

Delivering judgment on behalf of judge president Hildah Chibomba, justices Annie Sitali, Enock Mulembe and Palan Mulonda, Master of the Constitutional Court Mable Mwaba said the court found that indeed there were procedural irregularity in the use of the referendum regulations 2016 that had not yet come into effect at the time that the referendum was held.

“We agree with counsel for the appellant that S.I No. 64 of 2016 had no retrospective effect…we, however, find that the change in symbols or the use of ballot papers that had a different frame did not in any way have a significant negative impact on the referendum so as to render it irregular and unconstitutional. We are of the firm view that the said irregularities did not depart from the essence of the referendum,” Mwaba said.

“The net result of this matter is that an interpretation of Article 79(3) of the Constitution of Zambia reveals that the provisions of the Constitution were complied with in the holding of the national referendum to the extent that the proposed Bill was put to the people.

Mwaba, however, said in terms of process, there were irregularities in the use of the referendum regulations, 2016 but that such irregularities did not negatively affect the result if the Referendum.

“As this matter raised important constitutional issues, we order that each party bears own costs,” said the court.

Siwale, who is New Labour Party president, sought the court’s determination of whether the 2016 Referendum meant to alter Part III and Article 79 of the Constitution can, in fact, proceed to be held without a Bill to be voted on having been put to the said Referendum required by Article 79 (3) of the Constitution.

Siwale was also seeking a determination on whether it was not unconstitutional and illegal for the national referendum to have proceeded in the manner it was suggested without a Bill to be voted on having been put to the national referendum as required by Article 79 (3) of the Constitution.

The petitioner also asked why the outcome of the national referendum should not be declared null and void or illegal due to the process not having complied with the provisions of Constitution, among other issues.